Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)
Automatic Data Processing provides payroll processing and human-capital management software.
Industrials stock comparison
ADP vs CTAS: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare Automatic Data Processing, Inc. with Cintas Corporation using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Industrials
- Industry
- Different SIC
- Shared themes
- 2
- Updated
- 2026-08-05
ADP vs CTAS: quick comparison
| Company fact | ADP | CTAS |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Cintas Corporation |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| Headquarters | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Founded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| SEC industry | Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation | Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments |
| Fiscal year-end | June 30 | May 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-08-05 | 10-K · 2026-07-29 |
How the businesses differ
Cintas Corporation (CTAS)
Cintas provides uniform rental, facility supplies, and safety products to businesses.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. ADP is classified by the SEC as Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation, while CTAS is classified as Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments. The different industry codes are a warning against treating sector membership as proof of identical economics.
Which thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study ADP when…
- Capital-spending and manufacturing PMIs
- Reshoring and supply-chain reconfiguration
- Defense budgets and geopolitical conflict
- Freight rates and logistics demand
Study CTAS when…
- Capital-spending and manufacturing PMIs
- Reshoring and supply-chain reconfiguration
- Defense budgets and geopolitical conflict
- Freight rates and logistics demand
Shared research themes
US marketsEconomic trends
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.ADP's fiscal year ends June 30, while CTAS's ends May 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House Clerk snapshot contains 0matched transaction rows for ADPand 0 for CTAS. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
ADP primary filings
CTAS primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
More comparisons involving ADP or CTAS
ADP vs CTAS FAQs
Are ADP and CTAS direct competitors?
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. and Cintas Corporation sit in the same Industrials sector but have different SEC industry classifications. The comparison is most useful for portfolio role and sector exposure, not as a claim that every product competes directly.
Which is better, ADP or CTAS?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this ADP vs CTAS comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices, then use the primary filings here to test the business thesis.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-08-10. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-08-10. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
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